Bring Our Girl Home
by Thn0715
Summary: After the death of Ian Doyle, the team discover that two of their own have kept them in the dark, and Emily Prentiss is alive.  How will they react?  Will the team survive, or will this tear them apart? Rated T for some language.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello once again, my friends! Hope you are all well! Wow, summer has really brought out the writing bug in me. It's amazing what a little sunshine can do for the muse! This is one I've been toying with since the end of "Lauren" (Episode 6x18), and especially after seeing the Grief Assessment Interviews Hotch conducted during "Hanley Waters" (Episode 6X20). This is my take on what happens when the team discovers that Emily Prentiss is indeed alive. It involves the entire team, including both JJ and Seaver. I hope you all like it!**

**I'll go ahead and tell you up front that my chapter lengths in this one are all over the place. Some (like this one) are VERY short, and some are quite lengthy, so please bear with me. Honestly, this intro is more teaser-length than anything. *grins mischievously* Hold on tight! The rollercoaster is about to begin!**

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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 1 - Introduction**

They all stared at the lifeless body before them. None of them could speak. They'd finally caught up to him. Finally ended him. Just like they promised. A year and a half too late, but they got him. For her. Hotchner, Morgan, and Reid lowered their still smoking weapons. Rossi and Seaver entered through the back entrance just in time to see Morgan feel Ian Doyle's neck for a pulse.

"We got you, you son of a bitch," he said as he stood.

They all looked at each other and smiled sad smiles. The memory of their friend was at the forefront of all their minds. Though they couldn't bring her back, they hoped at least now she could rest peacefully in the knowledge that Declan would always be safe and Doyle would never hurt anyone again. They all filed out of the building toward their SUV's as Hotch pulled out his cell phone.

"JJ. It's Hotch. Ian Doyle is dead."

They watched their Unit Chief, only hearing his side of the conversation.

"Yes, I'm sure. He has no pulse, he's not breathing, and he has three bullet holes in his chest. I promise you, he's dead."

What he said next was the last thing they expected, and it nearly brought them to their knees.

"Now bring our girl home."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing the first chapter. I know it was short. Sorry 'bout that. This one's a bit longer (not much). This is where we get the ball rolling! Hold onto your hats... the truth is coming out!**

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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 2 - The Truth  
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His statement froze them all in their tracks. Hotch took a deep breath, steeling himself for the onslaught which he knew was sure to come. Only then did he face his team. They looked shell-shocked.

"Aaron?" Rossi's questioning gaze found him.

"What did you just say?" Morgan stepped up. Hotch had never seen such a mix of emotions written across Derek Morgan's face. Shock. Hurt. Confusion. His overwhelming anger fueled them all.

"Derek," Hotch began, but was cut off.

_WHAM!_

Hotch felt blinding pain as Morgan's fist connected viciously with his nose, sending him sprawling to the pavement.

"You son of a bitch!" Rossi grabbed Morgan, stepping in front of him to prevent him from throwing more punches as he continued to scream. "How could you? How could you let us go through this year knowing she was alive? It's been 16 months, man!"

Hotch spit blood from his mouth but didn't bother to wipe the blood from his broken nose. He staggered to his feet and looked at his team.

"I couldn't tell you, no matter how badly I wanted to. I couldn't, Derek."

"So you let us all crumble thinking we'd failed her? You watched us grieve, Hotch! You watched us cry, watched us walk by her picture every day and feel that guilt over and over again. You should have told us. You should have _trusted_ us!"

"Derek, trust had nothing to do with this. Everyone's grief had to appear real for Doyle to believe it. He had to believe she was dead and so did everyone around him. It was the only way to keep her safe."

"Damn you, Hotch!" Derek screamed, his voice full of intensity. Rossi stepped in one more time.

"Come on," he began pulling Derek from the scene. "Let's go. We shouldn't do this here."

Morgan jerked out of Rossi's grasp and continued to glare at Hotch before finally turning away and walking toward the SUV, Rossi right at his side. As they reached the SUV, Morgan ripped off his bulletproof vest and forcefully threw it in the back, slamming the rear hatch closed. He stepped to the passenger side and flung his left arm violently against the door before getting in and slamming the door shut. Rossi turned and looked back at Hotch. A look of hurt and sadness filled his eyes as he watched an obviously emotional Reid approach their bleeding Unit Chief.

"That's why JJ wouldn't let me see her at the hospital, isn't it?" Reid's voice was too soft and cracking. "That's why she wouldn't let me say goodbye."

Hotch nodded sadly, maintaining eye contact with him. He owed him that much. He owed them all that much. Reid nodded once, looking utterly lost and, with his head hanging and shoulders slumped he joined Morgan and Rossi. Rossi gave him a comforting pat on the back as he got in and slumped in the back seat. Rossi got in the driver's seat, and they drove away. Hotch ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh.

"Sir?" Seaver's voice broke into his thoughts. He'd almost forgotten she was there. She looked very nervous, almost afraid. She said the only thing that came to mind. "Do you want me to drive?"

He fished the keys to the second SUV from his pocket and handed them to her. He didn't speak. He wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand and walked slowly to the SUV. She followed behind, still stunned by what she'd just witnessed.

They drove in silence for ten minutes before Seaver hesitantly spoke again.

"Um… Sir? I'm not entirely sure I understand what just happened back there. Emily is still alive?"

He nodded. "She's in witness protection somewhere in Europe."

"And you've known the whole time? Even at her funeral?" He could hear the confusion and hurt in her soft tone. He sighed.

"I've known since the hospital. JJ and DoD set it up with some help from Interpol. I had to know so that I could protect the team if somehow Doyle found out she was alive and decided to come after us to lure her out of hiding. Someone within the team had to know to be looking for those signs. That's part of being a Unit Chief. You protect your team at all costs, even if they hate you for it. Maybe one day they'll forgive me. Maybe you will, too. Even if they don't, that's something I accepted the moment I agreed to help fake her death."

"So… what happens now? To the team, I mean?"

"A lot of that is up to them."

Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"A team doesn't function if its members don't trust their leader."

She turned her eyes to him briefly. He still looked stoic, but she noticed the lines around his eyes and realized how exhausted he'd looked over the past few months. He pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning slightly at the pain. He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a few napkins to clean himself up as best he could before they got back to the BAU. He tried to wipe away the blood from his nose, though some of it was already dried, and leaned his head back against the headrest.

"Hotch, can I ask you one more question?"

"Sure."

"If you could go back and do it all over again, would you make the same decision? Would you do it again?"

He didn't take five seconds to think about his answer. He didn't need to.

"In a heartbeat."

They spent the rest of the drive in silence, but she couldn't stop asking herself the same question she'd asked him.

_'What happens now?'_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Love hearing your feedback! And apparently I'm not the only one who thinks there's a bloody nose in Hotch's television future! LOL! Here's a little more team reaction for ya. Hope you continue to enjoy it.**

**For my girl, Wot, for being my friend and believing in my talent, there's a little something in here just for you! :)  
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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 3 - Understanding  
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Once they arrived at the BAU, Hotch went directly to the men's locker room to clean up his face and change his now bloodstained shirt. He soaked a washcloth in warm water and gently cleaned the dried blood from his nose. He flinched slightly at the tenderness, but decided this was as good a time as any to bite the bullet. He inhaled deeply and held his breath and, clinching his eyes shut, he popped the broken bones of his nose back into alignment. He groaned loudly as the _crack_ echoed in his ears. He once again held the washcloth to his nose allowing the heat of the water to soothe away the soreness. After a few moments he dropped the washcloth and braced his hands on the edges of the sink. He hung his head as Seaver's question played over and over again in his head. _'What happens now?'_ For once, he didn't have a real answer to that question. Truthfully, he was a little afraid of the answer.

He heard the door open, but he didn't look up. He knew only one person would search him out. He heard the footsteps stop behind him.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Dave."

The two men stood silently for a few moments. Hotch never looked up, which told Dave that he was definitely not fine, but he let it slide.

"I've been where you are, Aaron. I know what it's like to have to keep secrets."

"I know."

"They'll come to understand one day, too."

"I hope so." He finally looked up and caught Rossi's eyes in the mirror. "I don't regret my decision. I regret the situation, but I'll do whatever I have to do to keep my team safe."

"I know that. They know that, too." Rossi sighed and ran his hand over his goatee. "But understanding why you made your decision doesn't make it hurt any less."

Hotch knew Rossi wasn't just talking about the others. He was talking about himself. Hotch hung his head again. "I know."

But Rossi was already gone.

He dried his face and quickly changed his shirt. As he retrieved his bag from his locker, he noticed he had a missed text message on his cell phone. It was from JJ.

_H- _

_HANDLERS HAVE HER. ON PLANE FROM VIENNA. EST. FLIGHT TIME 9 HRS. FIRST TO DOD, THEN BAU TOMORROW LATE AFTERNOON. _

–_J_

He put his suit jacket on and went to inform his team, who were the only ones remaining in the BAU.

"I just received a message from DoD. Emily is en route from Vienna, Austria. She'll be taken to DoD first for a debriefing. Then they'll bring her here. It won't be until some time late tomorrow afternoon. Don't worry about the paperwork right now. Go home. Get some rest."

Rossi lingered a bit, watching the scene unfold. Morgan and Reid barely looked at Hotch. They simply packed up their stuff, turned off their computers, and quietly left the BAU. Seaver acknowledged him with a nod before leaving as well. She looked lost. And Garcia…. He hadn't seen Garcia yet, but he could only imagine what her wrath would be like.

He waited for Hotch to retreat into his office before gathering his things and locking his office. He paused briefly at Hotch's window, watching through the blinds as the weary, exhausted Unit Chief flopped unceremoniously into his desk chair. He rubbed his hands over his tired face, leaned his head back and closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. Rossi shook his head sadly and walked away toward the elevators. He hoped once everyone had an evening to process the day's events that cooler heads would prevail in the morning. He'd grown too attached to this team – this family – to watch it fall apart.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, this is one of my favorite chapters of this story. I truly hope a similar conversation takes place on the show, especially knowing that we're getting BOTH our girls back! Yay! Anyway, this is a bit of a somber chapter, and is considerably longer that the previous three. Hope you enjoy! And thank you again for all the reviews. They are greatly appreciated!**

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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 4 - Forgiveness?  
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An unexpected knock on his office door made Hotch jump. He'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't realized two hours had passed since the team's return to the BAU. He collected himself before telling his guest to enter. He was relieved, yet unsurprised, to see the face of a friend. JJ entered and took the seat in front of his desk. They sat in companionable silence before either of them spoke.

"I'm guessing you ran into Garcia at some point this afternoon."

"What makes you say that?" JJ scoffed.

He pointed to the red splotch on her cheek. "She's the only person I can think of who would have the guts to hit you. I take it she didn't handle the news very well." He dropped his eyes from hers.

"I'd say she handled it about as well as Morgan, judging by the swollen nose and black eye you're sporting."

"Yeah." He shrugged.

They both fell silent again. They were both weighed down by the guilt they felt at keeping their friends in the dark for so long. Several minutes passed before JJ spoke up.

"We did the right thing." She didn't know if she was trying to convince Hotch or herself.

"I know."

"We had to protect her and the team."

"I know."

"I would do it again without hesitation, Hotch."

"I know you would. So would I."

"So why does it hurt so much?" her voice dropped in pitch and lost all of its earlier confidence.

Hotch sighed and ran his hand over his eyes and through his hair. "Because even though we did what was necessary to protect all involved, our friends got hurt in the process. They feel like we betrayed their trust. Trust is not easily earned or kept."

"Yeah."

Hotch asked his question so softly that JJ almost missed it. It was the one question for which they were both desperately seeking an answer.

"Do you think they'll ever forgive us?"

JJ sighed and fidgeted with her necklace.

"I don't know." She paused only long enough to look at him. "Would you forgive us?"

Hotch sighed again. "I don't know."

She looked at him curiously.

"Every member of this team has trust issues, JJ. I'm no exception. Morgan's are the worst, which is why he's so angry. I understand where he's coming from. Mine aren't much better than his. I don't know how I would handle being on the other side of this. I like to think I would be understanding of the situation, but knowing me, I'd probably shut down and distance myself. It seems to be what I do best."

They both fell silent again. JJ mulled over his answer and couldn't deny that she felt the same way. Emily was one of her best friends. Had she been on the other side of this, being left to mourn for months only to discover that she'd been intentionally kept in the dark, that her friend was still alive, she wasn't sure she could trust again.

Hotch glanced at the clock on the wall behind his desk. "It's getting late. I'm sure Henry is missing his mommy."

She smiled and shook her head. "He's with his daddy in New Orleans this week. Will took him to see his family. I'm not really interested in going home to an empty house. But Jack is probably missing you right about now."

Hotch shook his head as well. "Jessica took him to see his grandparents. I was going to catch up on some paperwork while he's away."

"Mind if I stick around?"

"You're company is always welcome, JJ. You know that."

"Thanks."

"Since you're staying, you want a drink?"

JJ nodded. Hotch opened the bottom drawer and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of scotch. He poured both drinks and handed a glass to JJ, who nodded her appreciation. She picked up a stack of case files and moved to the couch.

"You remember how to do this, Jareau?" Hotch smirked, taking a sip of his scotch.

"Like riding a bike," she shot back, taking a sip as well. Hotch couldn't hold back his grin. This was the JJ he knew and missed. His entire team missed her. Every member of his team held a special place – he was the glue that held them together, Morgan was their strength, and Garcia, their light. Rossi was their experience and Reid, their innocence. Prentiss had been their protector. But JJ – JJ was their soul. And ever since DoD had stolen her exceptional talents right out from under them, their soul had been scarred. They'd all become more jaded, less compassionate. They needed her to guide them. They needed her back.

After several minutes of blankly staring at the same case file and having no idea what he'd read, Hotch finally spoke again.

"JJ?"

"Yeah?"

"Depending on what happens with the team after all this, would you still be interested in coming back to the BAU?"

JJ's eyebrows shot up. "Of course I would. You know I want to be back with my family. This is where I belong. But I didn't think it was possible."

"I told you when you left that I'd never stop trying to get you back. And I haven't. I've been making some headway, and it may be possible sooner rather than later."

"That's great, Hotch." Her eyes turned skeptical. "But what do you mean, 'depending on what happens with the team'?"

Hotch rubbed the back of his neck. "There's a lot riding on what happens after today. Seaver asked me something on the way back after everything that happened this afternoon. It's really got me thinking."

"What did she ask?" He could hear the genuine concern in JJ's voice.

"She asked what happens now. I told her it all depends on the team. This one isn't my call. It's theirs. We can't function as an effective unit if they don't trust me. And right now, they don't."

"You honestly think this is bad enough that it could split up the team?" she asked, surprised. He sighed.

"You didn't see their faces, JJ." He looked up at her, and though his face showed little emotion, his eyes showed just how worried he was that his team was on the edge of collapse. "You didn't see the anger, the hurt, the shock, not at the realization that Emily is alive, but that we knew and didn't trust them enough to tell them the truth."

"Trust wasn't the issue," JJ tried to reason, but Hotch shook his head.

"It was for them."

Hotch got quiet again. JJ could see he was deep into his own thoughts. She knew how important this team was to him, to all of them. She hadn't realized just how much they all leaned on each other until she was forced to be without them. This team was family in every sense of the word. They needed each other, depended on each other. They'd had their issues before, but in the end, their connection had outweighed their differences and they'd been able to overcome. She could only hope this time was no different.

"I think the team is stronger than that. They'll come to understand, Hotch. In the end, Emily being alive will outweigh their anger."

"You really believe that?"

"I do."

"I hope you're right," he sighed. He could feel a headache coming on and pinched the bridge of his nose, momentarily forgetting that it was a bad idea. He grimaced and groaned in pain.

"You should really put some ice on that before it really starts to swell."

"Yeah," he nodded. "You got anything for a headache?"

JJ rummaged through her purse. The first bottle she pulled out was children's Tylenol. "Hmmm…That's probably not gonna be strong enough for you."

Hotch shook his head. "Yeah, don't think so."

She dug deeper and came up with a bottle of ibuprofen.

"You're a lifesaver," he said as he took three pills from the bottle and went to the break room in search of water and ice for his broken nose. JJ leaned back and rested her head on the back of the couch with one thought playing through her mind.

'_I hope I'm right, too.'_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: We all know how much Hotch lets things weigh on his mind. And we all know the lengths he will go to to protect his team. He needs to address the future of his team. This is another (very) short chapter, but one I felt needed to be set apart. Hope you enjoy!**

**And thank you all again for the great feedback! It is very much appreciated!**

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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 5 - That being said...**

Hotch didn't sleep at all that night. He couldn't help but think of his team and the pain they were feeling. He'd never felt such mixed emotions before. He was absolutely certain he'd made the right decision in keeping his secret, but his team was now on the verge of collapse. They were angry, distrustful, and rightfully so. In their eyes, he'd betrayed them all. As Unit Chief he had a very important decision to make concerning the future of his team. He spent the late evening/early morning hours staring out his window at the rain. The sky seemed to be crying for them all. He knew what had to be done, though it hurt to even consider. But he made peace with his decision and made plans to inform the team.

The next day, after his morning case briefings and a meeting with Chief Strauss, Hotch gathered the team in the conference room. He needed to address the situation before Emily returned to the BAU. They all gathered, but none of them spoke. They barely made eye contact with him or each other. Their anger and sorrow were still very present. He sat between Rossi and Seaver and addressed the team.

"I've requested a week stand down for the team and Strauss has agreed to it. I'm going to ask each of you to take that time and really think about the future of this team. What happens to this team after today does not rest in my hands. It rests in yours. But emotions are way too high and we're all too raw to make any decisions right now.

"I need you all to know up front that, while I may regret the situation, I do not regret my decision. I know you are all hurt and you're all angry, and I understand and accept responsibility for that. But my priority is now and always has been the safety of every member of this team. And if I ever have to make another decision like that, even knowing what the fallout will entail, you can rest assured that I will not hesitate to make the same decision again.

"I know your faith in me has been shaken. I know that I've broken your trust and that earning it back will take a great deal of time and effort, which I'm more than willing to put forth. But this team cannot function properly or effectively if the team does not trust its leader. Right now, I know that you don't, and it may be a while before you do again. The last thing anyone wants is to see this team fall apart. You are all too important, too gifted, and too good at what you do for that to happen.

"That being said, take this week and think about how you all want this team to continue. If by the end of the week, you all feel that the only way for this team to stay intact and function efficiently is for me to step down as Unit Chief, I'll hand you my resignation Monday morning."

All eyes shot up and looked at him. But Hotch didn't miss a beat.

"As soon as I get an ETA on Prentiss, I'll let you know." He left the conference room, leaving them all in stunned silence.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: She's here! She's here! I know I've kept you waiting long enough. Here's Emily doing what she does best... profiling! I know this is another super short chapter, but like with Hotch's chapter, I felt this needed to be set apart. Hope you enjoy! And thank you all again for such wonderful feedback! I love it!  
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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 6 - I hate Profilers...**

JJ sat with Emily in the back of a black government vehicle on their way to the Pentagon. They rode in silence while Prentiss tried to imagine what it would be like to come face to face with her team for the first time. She could only come to one conclusion. She turned to JJ.

"So, how mad are they? Really."

"Em," JJ sighed. "They're not."

"You really are a terrible liar, JJ. I may have been away for 16 months, but I'm still a Profiler, and I know my team. Why don't I take a guess and you tell me if I'm right?"

JJ just looked at her, so she took a deep breath and broke their unspoken rule. She profiled the team.

"Rossi's handling it the best," she began. "He's hurt, but he understands. He's been around long enough that he's seen something like this happen before. He'll want to talk about it, but won't push until I'm ready.

"Seaver's confused and really has no idea how to process everything. It's going to take her a while to put this behind her, but she'll never forget it. It will change the way she views any agent's death for the rest of her career. She'll always question whether it's for real, or another set up.

"Reid is withdrawn. He feels abandoned yet again by someone whom he cared about. His issue is that we lied to him. Right now he feels like the only person he can trust is himself, and it's going to be a long time before he opens up to anyone else again.

"Garcia is emotional, which is no big surprise. She wears her heart on her sleeve and she's upset that we've trampled all over it. And that's exactly what we did. She's mourned heavily for nothing. She's probably staring at my picture on that damned wall right now, trying to make sense of all of this but she can't, because it's an impossible situation.

"Morgan," she sighed and shook her head. "Morgan is so angry he can barely control himself. He's angry that he couldn't stop Ian Doyle in Boston. He's angry that I didn't confide in him before things got that far, even though he knew something was wrong and practically begged me to trust him. He's angry that we didn't tell him the truth. He's probably already taken a swing at Hotch for betraying his trust and keeping him in the dark.

"And Hotch is blaming himself for everything and taking full responsibility for the fallout, even though nearly every decision made was outside his control. He's trying to do damage control, but it's hard because right now the team doesn't trust him, and that affects him a lot more than he'll ever admit."

She finally stopped talking and looked to JJ for confirmation of her profile.

"Yeah," JJ nodded. "That pretty much sums it up."

Prentiss sighed. "That's what I thought."

JJ shook her head. "I hate Profilers."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay, so this is a very short filler chapter. I had to end it here because the next chapter is an important one and I didn't want to break that one up. Not much happens here, but I hope you like it anyway.**

**In my opinion, the only good thing that came out of CM:SB is the character of FBI Director Jack Fickler, played by the amazing Richard Schiff. LOVE him! He's the only character from that show that I one day hope to see make an appearance on Criminal Minds. Anyway, I make mention of Director Fickler in this chapter and just wanted to let you know where I got his name.**

**At this rate, my A/N is gonna be longer than the chapter, so I'll stop now. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 7 - Waiting  
><strong>

Hotch stepped out of his office and onto the landing overlooking the BAU bullpen. It was getting late in the day and the only agents remaining were his. He could see they were trying to work on reports but were all distracted, waiting on word of Prentiss' arrival. Morgan sat at his old desk across from Reid instead of returning to his office. Reid was still looking at the first page of a long report he could have read ten times over by now. Seaver looked uncomfortable. She was twirling a pen between her fingers and picking up on everyone's nervousness. Hotch wondered what their reactions would be once they saw Prentiss for themselves. Would they accept her back with open arms or shut her out? Would they still be angry, or would the proof that she is alive and well be enough to outweigh their pain. He felt a presence and realized Rossi had come from his office to stand at his side.

"Any word yet?"

His voice got the attention of the others, who were all now looking at Hotch.

He cleared his throat. "They just left the Pentagon. They have to meet with Director Fickler and Chief Strauss about her reinstatement, and then they'll be here. Probably within the next two hours depending on how long the meeting lasts."

He watched as they all nodded their understanding and dropped their gazes from him, lost in their own thoughts. Morgan picked up the phone to call Garcia and give her the update. No doubt she was shutting down her systems and making her way to the bullpen. Hotch turned and nodded to Rossi before returning to his office and gently shutting the door. Instead of returning to his own office, Rossi joined the others in the bullpen. They all knew no more work was getting done today.

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><p>A little over an hour later, JJ and Prentiss made their way from Director Fickler's office to the elevators that would take them to the sixth floor and the BAU. Once inside, JJ watched as Prentiss fidgeted with her hands, unable to keep still.<p>

"You okay?"

"I'm nervous about seeing them again," she admitted.

"Everything's going to be fine, Emily," JJ tried to reassure her. She placed her hand over Emily's to make her stop fidgeting. "They'll understand."

Emily took a deep, calming breath. "God, I hope so."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay my patient readers, I guess I've kept you waiting long enough! You've all been so good, so here is your reward... Emily is HERE! YAY! It's reunion time at the BAU. I hope you all enjoy it, and I hope it's worth the wait! Thank you all again for the incredible feedback. I appreciate it very much!**

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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 8 - Reunions**

The elevator dinged and the metal doors slid open, returning Emily to the BAU and the family she'd given up 16 months earlier. The glass doors opened and five sets of eyes immediately looked up. Emily Prentiss was standing in the doorway, JJ right behind her. For a moment, nobody moved. It was like a moment frozen in time. They simply stared at each other, each realizing that this moment, one they never thought possible, was very real. Hotch quietly exited his office and walked to the bottom of the stairs, but didn't move any closer. This was his team's moment and he wouldn't interrupt that. JJ saw him and smiled. She put her hand on Emily's back and gave her a gentle nudge.

"Go on," she whispered. Emily looked back at her and JJ offered her a smile and nodded to the group. "Go." She moved away to stand by Hotch so as not to interrupt their reunion. Emily took another deep breath and slowly began moving toward her team.

David Rossi was the first to leave his seat. He met her halfway and placed his hands on her shoulders. She hung her head, trying to keep control over the sea of emotions coursing through her body. Rossi gently lifted her chin and met her eyes. He smiled at the realization that the woman he'd grown to care for as a daughter really was alive and well and standing right in front of him. He brought his hands to her face, brushing away a lone stray tear with his thumb, gently kissed her forehead, and pulled her into a tight, fatherly embrace. She brought her arms up tentatively at first, but then clung to him tightly as her own realization kicked in. _'I'm home.'_

Dave finally pulled back to look her over. "You look good, kid," he smiled. She chuckled and swallowed against the lump in her throat. He hugged her again. "We missed you, Emily. Welcome home."

When she finally let go of Rossi, she turned to Penelope who, unsurprisingly, burst into tears. They threw their arms around each other and held on tight.

"I can't believe it's really you," Garcia sobbed over and over. "You're really here."

"I'm really here, PG," Prentiss said to her as she rubbed her back. "It's really me."

They held each other and both cried for a few short moments before Garcia pushed away from her and smacked her arm.

"Don't you ever do anything like that ever again!" she admonished. "No more running after psycho baddies with automatic weapons without backup! And no more dying! You are never allowed to die ever again! Oh God!" She stopped herself when she realized she was yelling. She'd shocked herself with her outburst. But Prentiss only chuckled and pulled her into another hug.

"Your voicemail, the one you left when I was chasing Doyle and you were all trying to find me, that's what kept me going, Garcie. Your words of friendship, of family - you kept me going. You helped me stay strong. And I'm so sorry I put you through all this."

"Just promise me you'll never pull a stunt like that again. My heart couldn't take it," Garcia sniffled.

"I promise."

"Sergio is gonna be so happy to see you."

Prentiss pulled back and gasped. "You have Sergio? He's okay?"

"He's purr-fectly fine," Garcia rolled her tongue, pulling a chuckle from Prentiss. "Our fuzzy little four-legged buddy is just missing his mommy."

"Oh man, I can't wait to see that little guy!" They giggled at her enthusiasm over being reunited with her cat. She couldn't believe how attached she'd become to the black ball of fur, but she'd missed him terribly. She'd had a hard time sleeping without him purring in her ear. "Thank you for taking care of him, PG."

She nodded and turned to the rest of the group. Seaver was the closest, so she went to her first. Ashley was tentative, not really knowing how to approach her.

"I know this is a lot to take in," Prentiss said to her.

"It's definitely going to take a while to process this," Seaver agreed. "I'm really glad you're okay." She put her hand timidly on Prentiss' shoulder before finally giving her a hug.

"Thank you," Prentiss returned her hug. "I hope these boys weren't too hard on you while I was gone," she joked, relieving some of the tension.

Seaver chuckled. "Perfect gentlemen."

That got an outright laugh out of Prentiss. "Yeah, right."

Seaver smiled and stepped back, and Prentiss turned her attention to Reid.

He stood nervously with his hands in his pockets. He couldn't keep eye contact with her. Instead, he would glance up at her, then downcast his eyes. And he was nibbling at his bottom lip. She could see he was fighting to hold onto his emotions. This was one situation he did not have an answer for, and he was struggling. She walked to him and stood in front of him, but knowing he had never been one for much physical contact, she didn't touch him.

"They wouldn't let me see you at the hospital," he managed to utter. "I should have known there was something wrong when JJ wouldn't let me see you."

"Reid," she whispered, her heart breaking for the man she regarded as her little brother.

"I should have put the pieces together sooner. Maybe we could have helped. Then you wouldn't have been alone. I should have seen it."

She rubbed his arm as he shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "There's nothing you could have done, Reid. I had to go. If Doyle had known I was alive, he would have come after all of you to get to me. I couldn't let that happen. You mean too much to me. I couldn't risk that. Do you understand?"

He nodded, but still didn't look up at her. She cupped the side of his face. "I'm so sorry I put you though all this. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know," he sniffled. "I really missed you."

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around him. They held onto each other tightly, much like they had after escaping Benjamin Cyrus' compound a few years earlier. Reid couldn't hold back his tears.

"I missed you so much. Please, don't leave us again."

She pulled back, brushed away his tears and smiled at him. "I missed you too. And I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

He nodded and smiled in return.

She took a deep breath and steeled herself for what she knew would be the toughest part of this reunion. She faced the man she'd hurt the most during this ordeal; the one she knew would be least likely to forgive her.

Morgan.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I just wanted to send out a very special thank you to everyone who reviewed this story! You have made this my highest reviewed story to date! I'm so excited! Your support has been fantastic and all the feedback has been wonderful. I love reading your opinions, whether you agree with my spin on things or not. All of your opinions matter and I thoroughly enjoy trying to meet your expectations. So thank you! All of you!**

**And since you've all been so kind, I'll stop being evil now. I know you've been waiting for this chapter and hopefully it doesn't disappoint. Emily Prentiss and Derek Morgan, face to face. Here we go!**

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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 9 - Partners**

She stood in front of Morgan fully expecting one of two things: the tongue lashing of her life, or the cold shoulder. She knew he would be angry. There was no question about that. He'd known something was wrong. He'd begged her to trust him, to allow him to help her. But she couldn't willingly put him into so much danger. She was protecting him, protecting all of them, but she knew he would view her actions as foolish. She had accepted the fact that, of all her family, he was the least likely to forgive her. She had prepared herself to hear those words, no matter how much she knew they would hurt.

He gave her the reaction she least expected.

He stepped close to her and hesitantly brought his hand to her face. He brushed her hair behind her ear and gently caressed her cheek as if he were afraid she'd break. He took a shuddery breath before finally speaking to her.

"I was so angry with you," his voice cracked with emotion. "I didn't understand why you wouldn't trust me enough to let me help you. All the secrets, the lies. I couldn't see past my anger to understand why you did it. When I finally did, I was too late."

She reached up to cup his cheek. "Derek…"

But he shook his head to cut her off.

"When I got to you in that warehouse and saw you beat up and bleeding, all I could think was, 'Please God, don't take her like this'. If I had just gotten there five minutes earlier, if I had just swallowed by injured pride and saw what was really happening, maybe I could have helped you. You were dying in my arms and there was nothing I could do about it but beg you to stay with me. But you left."

He sniffled and swallowed hard, trying to keep his emotional composure, but he failed and his tears started to fall.

"And now you're here, standing right in front of me. And I'm afraid if I move my hand, you'll disappear and I'll find out I'm hallucinating or this is all a dream."

She wiped away her tears, then wiped away his. "I'm right here, Derek. And I'm real. And I'm not going anywhere. It's over."

He wrapped her in his strong arms. "Next time you're in trouble, please trust us. Whatever else may be hiding in your past, we don't care about that. You did what you had to do. I understand that now. I won't judge you. Not anymore. Just, please, if there's anything else, please don't try to face it alone. I know you went to Doyle to protect us, but there was nobody there to protect you. We're a family, Emily. We protect each other. Please don't ever do that to us again. Please, Em. I don't think any of us could handle losing you again. I know I couldn't."

She put her hand over his mouth to silence him. "I promise, Derek," she replied into his chest. "I promise."

They held onto each other for a long time. When they finally pulled out of their embrace, they couldn't help but chuckle. Both were crying despite the numerous times they'd forbidden themselves to do so in front of their team. They wiped each other's tears away and playfully swatted at each other.

"Big baby," Prentiss snarked.

"Look who's talking," Morgan countered.

And just like that, their banter was back. Morgan dropped both hands to her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"Damn, I've missed you. I meant what I said on that warehouse floor. I am proud of you. Proud to be your partner and your friend. That'll never change."

"Thank you, Derek."

She smiled at him before glancing over his shoulder, slightly to the right, and seeing Hotch and JJ; the only two people who'd known from the onset that she was still alive.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Once again, thank you all for the awesome reviews! This is the first story I've ever had to break the 100 review mark! *dance of joy* I'm glad you've all enjoyed this so much!**

**Now, our girl has two more people to talk to. Shall we get on with it?**

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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 10 - Family  
><strong>

She stepped away from Morgan and made her way to the bottom of the staircase where Hotch and JJ were waiting for her. Hotch was holding a framed picture in his hands. He offered it to her.

"We won't be needing this anymore."

It was the picture of her that hung on the Wall of Fallen Heroes. She took it from him.

"I don't know how to even begin to thank the both of you. I know I put you both in a terrible position and…"

"Emily," Hotch cut her off, shaking his head. "You're alive. And you're here. Right now, that's all that matters."

"We do whatever it takes to protect family," JJ chimed in, winking at Garcia. She'd said those same words to her after putting a bullet between the eyes of Jason Clark Battle. Garcia offered her a watery smile in return.

"I'm hearing that word a lot. Family."

"That's what we are, Emily," Hotch answered. "For better or worse, we're family. Not even death can take that away from us."

The three of them wrapped their arms around each other. "Thank you," Emily breathed. "Both of you." When they pulled apart, Emily and JJ were both crying, and Hotch's eyes were glistening. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Welcome home."

Emily looked around slowly, taking in all the sights of the BAU that she never expected to see again. Her desk nestled closely to Reid's, making it easy for her to slip a file or three into his stack when he wasn't looking. There was the break room where she'd shared many a gossip session with Garcia. The conference room where they'd built countless profiles to help put away some of the worst criminals in American history. Rossi's office, which housed the man she'd trusted with her most closely guarded personal secret. Hotch's office, where she'd convinced the man to give her a chance, and because of it, she'd gained so much more than a job. She'd gained a family.

Dave's voice brought her out of her memories. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving. And we've got a hell of a lot of catching up to do. Dinner's on me if anyone's up for it."

"Hard to say no to an offer like that," Morgan grinned. "Somebody find the most expensive steakhouse in DC."

"Ooh no, my sweet," Garcia chimed in, a mischievous grin on her face. "Not steak. Lobster."

"Now you're talking," JJ agreed with a glint in her eye.

"You wish," was Dave's rebuttal.

They all laughed. Prentiss smiled and turned to Hotch. "I've missed this."

He returned her smile. "We've missed you."

"Hotch," she faced him as her voice turned somber again, "I can't imagine how hard it was for you to watch them grieving and not be able to tell them the truth."

"Don't do that to yourself, Prentiss," he stated strongly. "We made a decision and stood by it. It's worth some hurt feelings and bruised egos to have you standing here. Alive."

"Even the broken nose?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

His brow furrowed as he rubbed his nose. "That hurt."

"Yeah, I bet."

They both chuckled. Hotch tilted his head toward the team. "They're waiting for you."

"You coming?"

"Yeah, I just need to call Jessica and tell her I'm going to be late."

"Okay." She left the landing and joined her team. She ruffled Reid's hair and Rossi slung an arm around her shoulders as they made their way to the elevators. Morgan paused and looked back at Hotch's office. He needed to discuss something with his Unit Chief alone. He was lost in thought and didn't hear the elevator ding.

"Morgan," Reid called out while holding the door.

"I'll catch up," he said, and went back into the BAU.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Well, this is it friends. We've come to the end of our journey. I can't thank you all enough for the incredible response to this story. You truly make me smile! I hope this ending does the story justice. Thank you all again! Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>BRING OUR GIRL HOME<strong>

**Chapter 11 - Closure**

He waited next to Hotch's office door until he finished his phone call before knocking. "You got a second?"

"What's up?"

"Listen, um… about before…"

"Morgan…"

"No, let me get this out." Hotch nodded so Morgan could continue. "About what you said in the conference room earlier, you don't have to do that. We are a team, regardless of our personal feelings. The only way we truly function is all together."

He sighed and rubbed his head. "I let my anger get the better of me yesterday. I know better than that. It's just… you caught me so off guard, man. I didn't take the time to process what was really going on. I guess deep down, I didn't want to process it. All I could see was that you lied to us. Despite knowing that you would only do that for a very good reason, my head and my heart refused to see it that way. For what it's worth, I'm sorry I hit you."

"You don't have to apologize, Morgan. I deserved it."

Morgan weighed that statement for a moment before raising his eyebrows and grinning. "Yeah, you did."

That got a momentary chuckle out of Hotch. But Morgan turned serious again.

"Hotch, there's a good reason why you're a Unit Chief and I'm not. I never could have made that decision. And when our backs are against the wall, we need somebody who can. There's a reason we all trust you with our lives. You proved that by protecting Emily's despite the personal consequences. We were all hurt, and it's going to take some time to process all this, but I think we all understand now. Seeing her here just proves how much we need our family – our whole family."

"So," Hotch asked tentatively, "does this mean we're okay?"

"We will be. With time." Morgan held out his hand, which Hotch accepted and shook gratefully.

"And you're not gonna hit me anymore? 'Cause that really hurt."

Morgan couldn't hold back his laugh. "Nah, your nose is safe, for now."

"Good," Hotch breathed a sigh of relief and clapped Morgan on the shoulder. "Let's eat."

**THE END**


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